The short answer
At a glance
| Typical amounts | $5,000 to $5,000,000 at MFE; the right size depends on revenue and the type of funding |
|---|---|
| Revenue guideline | About $7,500/month for an advance; about $17,500/month for a working capital loan or line of credit |
| Time in business | Often 3+ months (advance), 6+ months (working capital, equipment), 1+ year (line of credit) |
| Credit | Scores from 500 considered; stronger credit usually means better offers |
| Speed | Same-day decisions are common on complete files; funding often the next business day, never promised |
| Cost structure | Advances use a factor rate; loans and equipment financing use a fixed payback over a term |
| Documents | 3 to 4 months of business bank statements, ID, voided check, short application; vendor quote for equipment |
| Best for | Lifts, alignment racks, scan tools, wreckers, parts stock, paint booths, car wash equipment repair |
| Avoid if | You already carry several advances; review a refinance instead of adding one more |
Before you apply: checklist
- Pull your last 4 months of business bank statements, every page
- Get a written vendor quote or invoice for any lift, booth, wrecker or tunnel equipment
- List every existing advance or loan with its remaining balance
- Separate personal and shop deposits so revenue is easy to read
- Know your slow months (winter for car washes, tax season swings for dealers)
- Decide the exact dollar amount and what it pays for
- Have your ID and a voided business check ready
- Note any NSF days and be ready to explain them
Check what your business qualifies for
Merchant Fund Express reviews auto repair, dealer and towing funding requests from $5,000 to $5,000,000. Scores from 500 are considered, and same-day decisions are common on complete files.
Check funding options with Merchant Fund ExpressWho this covers
This sheet covers auto repair shops, body shops and collision centers, tire shops, car washes (tunnel, self-serve and detailing), auto dealers (used car lots and independent dealers), towing companies and commercial truck repair shops.
They share a pattern: lots of card and check deposits, expensive equipment that has to work every day, and parts or vehicle inventory that ties up cash before a customer pays.
- Repair and tire shops: parts inventory, tire stock before winter, lifts, alignment machines, diagnostic scanners.
- Body shops: paint booths, frame machines, waiting on insurance payments for claim work.
- Car washes: conveyor, brushes, water reclaim systems, and the slow, rainy months.
- Dealers: buying inventory at auction, reconditioning costs, lot improvements.
- Towing companies: wreckers, rollbacks, repairs to a truck that is down, storage yard costs.
- Commercial truck repair: heavy-duty lifts, specialty tools and large parts orders.
Which funding fits which need
| Need | Common fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New lift, paint booth or wrecker | Equipment financing | Term matches the equipment's life, max 60 months at MFE |
| Parts or tire stock before a busy season | Merchant cash advance or working capital | Short term, repaid as sales come in |
| Truck down, repair needed now | Merchant cash advance | Flexible credit, quick review on a complete file |
| Ongoing parts and payroll swings | Line of credit | Draw only what you need, about 1+ year and 650+ credit |
For a deeper look at equipment, read the equipment financing guide. For general shop cash flow, see the working capital loans guide.
Illustrative example: a two-bay shop buys a lift
Assumptions: a repair shop with about $60,000 a month in deposits buys a $24,000 two-post lift and alignment package. The funder asks for 10% down. The total financing cost is assumed at $5,400 over a 36-month term.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Equipment price | $24,000 |
| Down payment (10%) | $2,400 |
| Amount financed | $21,600 |
| Assumed financing cost | $5,400 |
| Total payback | $27,000 |
| Monthly payment over 36 months | $750 |
If the lift lets the shop handle 3 more jobs a week at $250 of profit each, that is about $3,000 a month in added profit against a $750 payment.
These figures are illustrations, not offers. Real terms depend on the full file review.
Funding brings customers. Is your website ready for them?
Funding usually pays for growth: more stock, staff, equipment or marketing. Make sure the customers that growth brings find a website that explains what you do and makes it easy to call, book or buy. Cheap Cheap Websites builds professional sites from $399, with Website Care at $30/month.
Common mistakes
- Stacking advances to cover a slow winter instead of planning for it.
- Financing equipment on a short advance when a longer equipment term would lower the payment.
- Comparing only the daily payment instead of the total payback.
- Mixing dealer floor-plan needs with shop cash flow without telling the funder which is which.
- Sending partial statements. Missing pages slow every review.
- Ignoring insurance lag. Body shops waiting on claim checks should size payments to real cash in the account, not to approved estimates.
How Merchant Fund Express handles this
Merchant Fund Express reviews auto businesses on the industries page alongside other trades. The review looks at deposits, existing positions, time in business and credit, with scores from 500 considered. Equipment requests need a vendor quote or invoice, and a down payment may be asked. If you already carry an advance, MFE can review a refinance or buyout of it. Service is available in English and Spanish.
When your statements and quote are ready, apply with Merchant Fund Express.
Related
Cheap Cheap Websites builds websites. It does not lend or make funding decisions. Funding is offered by our funding partner, Merchant Fund Express, and every request is subject to its review and approval. Figures on this page are illustrations, not offers. Updated October 16, 2026.